Versus
by Sakurazukamori6
Summary: They bicker and complain and are generally unhappy with each other, but for some reason, they just won't back down. Sakuragi, Rukawa.


**A/n:** I've never written anything for Slam-dunk, so I thought I'd give it a try. Just some interactions between my favorite bickering duo. This story can be taken as shonen-ai or not, your interpretation, as I have no problem with either. This is just me goofing around with two great characters and they're quirks, a character study if you will.

* * *

They're glaring at each other again. 

They can't help it.

"Asshole."

"Idiot."

They're name calling under their breaths when they pass each other in the hallways, and on the court, and outside by the water fountain, and up on the hot, summer roof.

"Move."

"You move!"

They're ordering each other around and it's like they're on the court all over again, sneakers scuffing and skidding over the waxed floors, the clean smell of helium and the rubber from the ball stuffing up their noses.

They're both fight for territory whenever they get out there, their own space, their own trademark moves and airtime.

"See that, you couldn't even do that if you practiced for the rest of your life and then eternity on top of that."

"Did you set aside a specific time in the day to think up that piece of lameness? Or does it just naturally come out?"

They're nasty and childish and catty and rearing to go by the time the buzzer has signaled the first break and it takes a few words from Kogure and a joint effort from Ayako to break them apart.

"You're just jealous."

"Hmph."

They know how to annoy each other too.

They both know how to dig into the other and cause damage and unsettle until fists are flying and it's Akagi's turn to break them up.

It's Sakuragi's impatience, his loudness, his ego, his blind optimism, his hair, his stubbornness, his carefree attitude, his idiocy, his courage, his punches, his quick thinking, his gang of friends, the way he wears his school uniform, and the fact that he's shown him up one too many times.

It's Rukawa's calm, his mocking quietness, his snooty remarks, his sleepy face, his punches, his pinpoint dark stare, his brush-offs, his perfection, his grace, his smirk, his good looks, and the fact that Haruko likes him better.

They really do hate each other.

There's no way around that.

They're just too different and too stubborn and too proud.

They're like fire and ice.

Those things just don't mix.

Whoever said opposites attract obviously hadn't kept them in mind when they were thinking up this philosophy on life.

"Fail, fail, fail, fail!"

"Drop, drop, drop!"

They're both thinking it in their heads when they see each other playing, secretly, enviously and it boils both there bloods to see the other progressing.

They work hard.

They try to outdo each other.

They keep getting frustrated because it's a seesaw and no one is the definite winner.

They train harder.

They hate each other more.

They can't stop watching each other when they both execute break necking, breathtaking hang time and it annoys them even more. They're eyes don't blink; they stare and stare and try to capture that moment in their unflinching, dry eyes. It feels like they're heartbeat is in their heads when Sakuragi performs a tide turning, earth shattering slam dunk, or when Rukawa floats into the air and shoots the ball from the three pointer mark, the graceful, predictable swish, like the ball couldn't defy his wishes even if it tried, the touch down of toes that seemed to never want to come back down to earth and Sakuragi can't help but think that Rukawa's the only person he's ever seen stop time.

They hate how much they respect the other after every practice, after every victorious game and glaring, grudging acceptance of the other's crucial gambit during crunch time.

They can't look away.

They want the other to fail and win, and fail and win, and fail and win within the same breath. They both cringe when they witness the other faltering in a game.

They secretly cheer each other on; they wish they could experience what the other can do.

Rukawa wants to know what it feels like to have shattered the glass over the net, he wants to know what it would feel like if the earth shook and cried whenever he slam dunked.

Sakuragi wants to know what it feels like to float, what if feels like to really fly and never touch down.

"How do you…ah…you know?"

"It's…this way and…"

They're awkward with each other when Sakuragi asks him for help and he has to explain and watch Sakuragi accomplish it in a few heartfelt, struggling tries. They try to be sincere. They try to gauge each other's responses and they get easily embarrassed when they don't know what to say next.

Rukawa remains quiet.

Sakuragi remains obnoxious.

They stare at each other and wish the other would just die or fall of the planet or stop being so damn good at basketball because then it would be very much like they did indeed fall off the planet. They're planet.

"Fool."

"Fox."

"Idiot."

"Pretty boy cheerleader."

"Moron."

"Ungenius."

"That's not a…moron."

"Go back to sleep!"

"Go back to detention!"

"Make me."

"I don't have to. The teacher will soon."

"You want a piece of me?"

"I don't want to get infected."

"The great Sakuragi will not be bothered by such a lowly, underling such as yourself."

"Then why are you still standing here?"

"I can stand wherever the hell I want!"

"You're so annoying."

They really hate each other, there's no doubt about that, but what really ticks them off, what really bothers them is that they know, one day, they're inevitably going to end up as best friends.

**End.**


End file.
